Vacuum apparatus.



A. WENDER.

VACUUM APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1909. RENEWED APR. 15, 1912.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

ma ma/2km df/fie ALFRED WENDER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

VACUUM APPARATUS.

Application filed September 9, 1909, Serial No. 516,905.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912. Renewed April 15, 1912. Serial No. 691,006.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED WENDER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum Apparatus, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in vacuum apparatus for the treatment of cer tain diseases, the object of my invention being to construct an improved apparatus of this class of simple, durable and inexpensive construction that may be easily moved without great eifort on account of its extremely light weight.

A further object of my invention is to construct an improved apparatus of this class in telescoping sections in such manner that the upper section may be employed in the treatment of a child, or the upper and lower sections may be united to form an apparatus for the treatment of a grown person, and when not in use the two sections to be telescoped to reduce the size of the apparatus.

For the above purposes my invention con sists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the complete apparatus; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and, Fig. 3 is an elevation of a portion of the upper section showing one of the pivoted clamping members.

Referring by numerals to the acco1npanying drawing: 1 designates the base and 2 designates the supports for the base arranged to support it a slight distance above the ground line to provide for a movement of the clamps 3 which are pivoted to the base 1 adjacent its periphery. Each clamp 3 is provided with a threaded aperture 4 into which is seated a set screw 5.

6 designates the lower section of the vacuum apparatus which is provided at its lower end with an outwardly extending annular flange 7, the outer margin of which, when positioned upon the base 1, is flush with the periphery of the base and is seforming a part cured to the base by the clamps 3 and set screws 5. At the upper end of the section 6 is an inwardly extending annular flange 8.

9 designates the upper section of the vacuum apparatus which is provided, at its lower end, with an outwardly extending flange 10, which, as shown inFig. 1, is of a diameter approximating the diameter of the upper portion of the section 6 and when in position the flange 10 occupies a plane beneath the flange 8 of the section 6. Interposed between the flange 10 of the upper section and the flange 8 of the lower section is a gasket 11. Secured to the wall of the upper section 9, adjacent its lower end, is a number of clamping members 12, each of which is provided with a screw seat 13 into which seats the set screws 14 are seated. The upper end of the section 9 is provided with an opening 15 and sec-ured'to the mar gins of said openings is a flexible sleeve 16 having a resilient upper margin 17. A11 aperture 18 is formed in the wall of the section 9 and seated in said aperture is a coupling 19 arranged to receive the end of a flexible tube 20, which tube is arranged for attachment with a vacuum pump (not shown). A hook 21 is secured to the upper portion of the section 9 to be employed for the support and suspension of a patient within the apparatus as required when the patient is not physically able to sit erectly.

In practice when it is desired to treat a grown person in my apparatus, the base section is positioned at a convenient point to the patient and the upper and lower sections are properly united. The patient is then placed upon the base, either standing or sitting on a stool or chair placed upon the base and the upper and lower sections are then placed over the patient, the lower section being secured to the base.

In the lowering of the apparatus over the patient, the head of the patient is inserted upwardly through the sleeve 16 and the re silient neck 17 of the sleeve embraces the neck of the patient and forms an air tight connection between the sleeve and the neck of the patient. It is to be understood, that the connection between the two sections and the connection between the lower section and the base section is air tight. A vacuumformiug apparatus (not shown) is then opl erated to form a vacuum within the chamber formed by the sections 6 and 9 and if desired may be continuously operated thus pressure from the body is removed which tends to relieve and expand the body.

When it is desired to treat a child the upper section only is employed and the treatment of the child is identical with the treatment of the grown person.

After the apparatus has been used, the smaller section should be telescoped into the lower'sect-ion, which may be done by throwing upwardly the pivoted clamps 12 to the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby permitting said clamps to clear the flange on the top of said lower section. Telescoping the sections in the manner described greatly reduces the size of the apparatus, making it easier to handle as well as cheaper to store and ship.

I claim:

In an apparatus of the class described, a chamber made up of a pair of conical sections telescopically connected, the lowermost section having an annular inturned flange and the uppermost section having an annular out-turned flange, a compressible gasket arranged between said flanges, a plurality of pivoted clamps for the compression of the gasket between said flanges and to be thrown upward to clear the said flange on the lower section, when packing the sections, a base for the lowermost section, and hinged clamping devices secured to the base for securing the lowermost section to the base. a

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED WENDER. Witnesses:

E. E. LONGAN, E. L. VALLAOE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

